Both Margaret and Florence Hoopes passed away some time ago, in the late 1970's or early 1980's. I can check the facts on the exact dates if you would like. My great-aunt was Mabel O'Donnell and those three ladies were really good friends. My aunt lived in Aurora, Il. and the Hoopes sisters lived in the Philadelphia area. They were all introduced because of the Alice and Jerry series (Evanston, Il.). My dad is the Jerry in the series and many of the events in the books really did take place with the illustrations also recording a visual picture. There was a real Miss Lizzie, Grandmother, Mother, Mr. Carl and on and on. Not only were the Hoopes sisters children book illustrators, but Florence was equally known for her landscapes done in oils. With the book, Singing Wheels, Florence, Margaret and my aunt traveled and spent time in Bucks County, Pennsylvania to research and sketch what would then become book illustrations. Anyway, I could go on and on. I hope this provides you with the info you were looking for regarding the Hoopes sisters.

I, too, am researching information about the Hoopes sisters. Am writing a book about well-loved illustrators of American readers from the 1940's and 1950's. Any and all information would be greatly appreciated!

Hi,As bibliographer for the Cairns Collection of American Women Writers, I recently purchased an archive of 25 sketchbooks of the Hoopes sisters. If interested in using these for research or if you have other questions about them please contact Susan Barribeau, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, sbarribeau@library.wisc.edu

I have a wonderful book entitled, "I know a story", illustrated by Florence and Margaret Hoopes. I just came across it in a box of things and I still love looking at the illustrations. I looked up their name so I could see their other works and found your site. For those of you doing research, It was written by Miriam Blanton Huber,Frank Seely, professor of Education at Arizona State Teacher's College Salisbury and Mabel O'Donnell. It was published by Row Peterson and Company in 1938. The illustrations seem stylistically very different than the Alice and Jerry Readers.